Jenkins Jaguar Journal
Family Edition
Week of Saturday, November 14th - Saturday, November 21st
Attendance Matters
CHRONIC ABSENCES
22% of our Jenkins Elementary scholars have 10% or more absences. This means currently 22% of our scholars are at risk of failing based on attendance alone. We currently have approximately 50 scholars who have been absent for more than 10 days and we are only in November. WE NEED YOUR HELP!! We need to turn this around. Please make sure your scholars are at school every day. If they are remote, make sure they log in with their teacher every day and submit their assignment for the day so that they are counted present.
Students with 15 or more absences are considered to have chronic absences. This is how chronic absences affect our scholars.
Chronic Absences
It is a big problem at the national level!
Nationally, an estimated 5 million to 7.5 million students are at risk academically each year because they are chronically absent—missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason—excused and unexcused absences as well as suspensions.
At the same time, we know that many students experience tremendous adversity in their lives—including poverty, health challenges, community violence, and difficult family circumstances—that make it difficult for them to take advantage of the opportunity to learn at school which results in students missing school.
Students who are chronically absent—meaning they miss at least 15 days of school in a year—are at serious risk of falling behind in school. Yet, parents do not realize the impact that chronic absenteeism can have on a child, and, for too long, this crisis in our nation's public elementary and secondary schools has not been fully understood.
In fact, the US Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for 2013-14 found 6.8 million students, or 14 percent of all students, were chronically absent. Starting as early as kindergarten and prekindergarten, chronic absence can have adverse consequences for academic achievement, research shows.
- By 3rd grade, chronically absent students, especially those who have experienced multiple years of poor attendance are less likely to read on grade level.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a warning sign that a student will drop out of high school.
- By 9th grade, it’s a better indicator than eighth-grade test scores. Children with certain risk factors— including poverty, chronic health conditions, homelessness, frequent moves, and disabilities—are especially hard hit since they can least afford to miss school.
- Children of color are also disproportionately affected.
Help us and your scholar by making sure they are in school or logging on every day and submitting their assignments. As a team, we can accomplish this.
Pitch in and Celebrate National Recycling Day on Nov. 15
National Recycling Day is a day dedicated to educating and encouraging individuals on how to be more mindful of where and how to properly recycle. Everyone can pitch in and create a more sustainable world with a few simple tips:
Encourage students to recycle at home and school
Avoid using plastic bags or reuse the plastic bags you already have
Use a refillable water bottle instead of single-use water bottles
Shop at second-hand stores to find great deals on gently used clothing
Follow your municipalities rules on recycling bins
Buy products made from recycled materials
There are a lot of different ways to make a difference with recycling and if everyone does their part, the impact can be significant. So recycle, buy recycled goods and help educate others about the importance of recycling.
Thanksgiving Break Curbside Meal Distribution Schedule
With the Thanksgiving Holiday break approaching, there will be no curbside meal pickup on Friday, Nov. 20. Families will be able to pick up meals for Thursday, Nov. 19 to Sunday, Nov. 22 at any of the open curbside locations between the hours of 4-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.
Open Curbside Locations:
Anderson Elementary
Booker Elementary
Burchett Elementary
Clark Primary
Cooper Elementary
Hirsch Elementary
Jenkins Elementary
Marshall Elementary
McNabb Elementary
Ponderosa Elementary
Reynolds Elementary
Smith Elementary
Thompson Elementary
Curbside meal pickup will resume as usual after the Thanksgiving Break on Monday, Nov. 30.
For more information on curbside locations and meal times, visit www.springisd.org/nutrition
or follow them on social media at @SpringISD_Meals.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Tips for a Safe Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the holiday will be different from the way many of us have celebrated in past years. As we prepare for family gatherings, the CDC offers the following considerations to help protect individuals and their families from COVID-19.
If you are hosting or attending a gathering:
Remind guests to stay home if they are sick
Consider getting tested for COVID before and after gathering
Consider keeping a list of guests who attended
Encourage social distancing (stay at least 6 feet away from others)
Have guests wear a mask
Clean hands often
Open windows throughout the home for greater ventilation
Use disposable tablecloths and serviceware to make kitchen clean up easier and to allow for surfaces to be disinfected sooner after the meal.
Limit the number of people handling or serving food
Here are some low-risk activities to consider:
Having a small dinner with only people who live in your household
Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family
Shopping online rather than in person on the day after Thanksgiving or the following Monday
Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Literacy Activities
It’s unbelievable to think that the season of gratitude has arrived, and we are now starting to make preparations for Thanksgiving Break.
However, COVID-19 has changed the way we are thinking about celebrating this year. Extra family members may not be arriving to entertain our little ones while we prep our turkey this time. As we continue to promote Family Literacy Month, here are some literacy activities to do during Thanksgiving Break.
Make an “I am Thankful for…” book. Children can write and illustrate what they are thankful for while strengthening their reading and writing skills.
Count how many words your child can build by rearranging the letters in ‘THANKSGIVING’.
Create Thanksgiving dinner menus. Show off your child’s writing skills.
Choose a Thanksgiving-themed book to read aloud after dinner.
Create a turkey out of construction paper and a milk jug. Write out sight words your child is working on. When your child reads the word, they can feed the turkey. This activity promotes early reading skills.
International Literacy Association gives us great examples of keeping your children engaged in learning amid the excitement of Thanksgiving Break. Help keep your children reading and learning while celebrating!
District Announcements
Spring ISD Recognizes Parent Involvement Month and Thanks all of our Parents
November is Parent Involvement Month, and we want to take this opportunity to recognize and honor the powerful contributions parents and caregivers make to support the success of students. We cannot truly achieve academic success without the support and engagement of families! We appreciate all that you do each day to support our students.
Thank you for the role you are playing in your students’ education. Your role is important in making sure that all students are successful, especially during our current time. When schools, families, and communities support each other, students of all backgrounds and abilities achieve at the highest level. Being an engaged parent makes the difference and your support is immeasurable!
Join Us for a Parent Advisory Council Meeting
Please join us for our Parent Advisory Council meeting on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. Guest speaker will be Dr. Rodney Watson presenting updates on the district's improvement plan.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86827623118?pwd=aU9SK1pQKzFCTG5XUkM1Z1FRM1BWUT09#success
Meeting ID: 868 2762 3118
Passcode: 651584
Free Flu Shots - November 18th
Reminder! School of Choice Applications are Now Open! Apply Today!
Parents of 5th and 8th graders interested in attending one of Spring ISD’s schools of choice for middle school or high school should apply now!
You can learn more about all of the district’s five schools of choice and view frequently asked questions about the application process at springisd.org/choice. Families can easily apply to multiple schools using a single online application.
The deadline for applying is Dec. 18, 2020, at midnight.